Mayor Rob Ford acknowledges he had a few beers while attending Taste of the Danforth festival on Friday night, saying “things are getting blown out of proportion.”

Speaking at his Sunday radio show, Mayor Rob Ford, seen with his brother Councillor Doug Ford, acknowledged having "a couple of beers" at Taste of the Danforth Friday night.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he had a few beers at the Taste of the Danforth street festival Friday, but added videos of him bantering with residents are being blown out of proportion. Ford has been criticized for his behaviour on social media sites.

“Did I have a couple of beers? Absolutely I had a couple of beers. But you know what, I had a good time,” Ford said on his Sunday radio show on Newstalk 1010. “I think things are getting blown out of proportion.”

That was a reference to videos and photos that surfaced on YouTube and Twitter on Friday night that showed the mayor appearing to slur his words.

He talked about wanting to party on the Danforth, where the annual Greek festival is held.

“If I offended anyone, you know what, I apologize,” Ford said on the air.

“I don’t believe I did offend anyone, and if I did, you know what, I had a good time and let my hair down a bit,” said Ford, adding he had his photo taken with hundreds of people.

The mayor said he drove himself to the festival area, and “I was not drinking.” But after having a few beers, Ford said he did not drive home because he was met by members of his staff.

His brother Doug, who is an Etobicoke councillor, added that he also joined the mayor at Taste of the Danforth.

“We go down to a festival. We have a couple beers and you have everyone on you,” Doug Ford said, noting they are just “average guys.”

“When I was there, there were people lined up from here to Timbuktu, non-stop, wanting to take pictures. Everything was good. Everyone was having a good time.”

A man named Harrison phoned into the radio show on Sunday and pointed out that Councillor Ford has said in a previous interview months ago that his brother doesn’t drink. (Doug Ford in fact said in March he had never seen his brother drink.)

Doug Ford, who doesn’t drink, acknowledged he has seen his brother with a couple of drinks, but added: “Rob doesn’t sit there in public hammering away on drinks. It just never happened.”

Those comments run counter to an interview Councillor Ford gave back in March on Newstalk1010 after the Star reported Garrison Ball organizers asked the mayor to leave the event because they were concerned he was impaired.

Radio host Jerry Agar questioned Doug Ford about whether his brother has an alcohol problem. Doug Ford went as far as saying he has never seen Rob drink.

“When I’m out at an event, and you can ask any councillor, or anyone, I’ve never seen Rob drink. At family functions, I’ve never seen Rob drink,” he said in March.

Agar then asked whether the mayor drinks occasionally.

“I’m not even sure he does, he doesn’t drink in front of me. Maybe I’m not around Rob 24/7,” Doug Ford said.

A source close to Ford’s office said on Saturday that the mayor’s appearance at the festival was well-planned. But Ford failed to show up at the appointed intersection, where his staff were going to give him a quick briefing.

Later, the aides reached Ford by phone and also saw Twitter reports that he was alone and talking to people a distance away.

“They had to scramble, some by subway, to get to where he was,” the source said, noting a stretch of Danforth was closed for the festival.